Castles In The Sky
by Kuroi Kiri
Summary: Kaitin Lanning has nothing worth living for. Neither does the new girl at school. So why has fate thrown them together? ON HIATUS until life calms down. But NOT forgotten!
1. Same 'Ole, Same 'Ole

**This is my first fanfic, so no laughing! I just thought this up one day, and decided to make it happen. Honest reviews would be much appreciated!**

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **

Senior English (403) had never been a very interesting class, and this one was no exception. A mindless drone known to the students as Mr. "Monotone" Monson served as their instructor, droning out less-than-boring facts that they would, in truth, never use in their lives again. Seated in the rear right desk, Kaitin Lanning was doing his utmost best to stay awake, and failing miserably.

"_Why does this guy even bother-no one listens or even cares!"_ he complained in his head. With a muffled sigh, he let his black-haired head drop into the comfort of his folded arms and slid his eyelids shut.

Just as Kaitin was beginning to retreat to the blissful embrace of sleep, Mr. Monson was cut off as the handle to the classroom door jiggled, followed by the rattle of the door opening. Rather than open his ice blue eyes, Kaitin tilted his head so his right ear could catch the ensuing conversation.

"Yes," sounded Mr. Monson's irritated voice, "what is it?"

For a moment silence reined, then another monotone voice, this one smoother, replied "Mr. Monson, Senior English 403?"

Back came Mr. Monson's dry tone "Yes, and you must be the transfer student. Well, find a seat and be quick with it!"

At the mention of "transfer student", Kaitin's interest perked, and he lifted his head to see this new addition. Knowing there was only one open seat, it wasn't hard to locate the new classmate. Opening his eyes, he looked to the seat in front of him, to the left. He was just in time to see a short young woman, with shoulder length lavender hair, settling into the desk seat. From what he could see, she had on a simple outfit, with loose fitting blue jeans, a black t-shirt and a blue hoodie. Fairly normal, really-in fact, the only unusual thing about the girl was her pale skin, more a shade of grey than pink. He couldn't see her face, but he imagined that she was nothing special.

"_Well, better a girl than another jackass like Tad or Yuri." _He thought, as usual looking for something positive in the situation. As if cued by his thought, he could hear skinny, red-headed Tad's whisper to the large, blond Yuri, three seats ahead. "Looks like we gotsa another freak here, don't it, Yuri?"

"Yah, she's as pale as a ghost-and vhat's up with that thing on her forehead-vhat a freeking veirdo!" Yuri not quiet whispered back to Tad, clearly not the subtler of the two.

Tad's hasty shushing of Yuri was overlapped by Mr. Monson's loud clearing of his throat, coupled with a glare sent Yuri's way. After a pause, out came the mindless drone again "As I was saying class, you assignment tonight will be pages…" as the class slowly focused their attention back on the teacher and away from their odd new student.

All except for Kaitin, who sat thinking to himself. _"I wonder what that was about-now I gotta see what's up with this girl." _Totally ignorant of the assignment being given, he sat wondering and stealing glances now and then at the girl. _"She had to hear them-why didn't she say anything back?"_ The one sided conversation in his head was cut off as the bell rang, sending the whole class into a frenzy to pack their backpacks and get out of the torture session that was Mr. Monson's class.

Grabbing the only thing on his desk, his sketchbook, he crammed it into his pack, zipped the pack up, and slung it onto his shoulder. Looking up as he started forward, he caught a glimpse of the new girl as she walked into the hallway.

"_Maybe I can catch her in the hall…"_ he mused as he worked his way through the press of students. Forcing his way around a rather large football player with a quick "S'cuse me", he popped out into the hall. Stopping in the middle, he scanned one way, then the other, but caught no sign of the young woman.

"_Huh?-Where'd she go?"_ he mulled to himself. With a confused look on his face, he shook his head and headed off to his next class.

_------------------------------------------------------------------_

Walking slowly down the hall towards his last class of the day, Kaitin was caught up in his thoughts. His sudden interest in the new girl was being pushed aside by his usual doubts and grief over the meandering course his life was taking.

"_Why am I trying? What's left?"_ Caught up in this mental byplay, he was rudely brought back to reality by a jarring collision with a large body. Staggering backwards, Kaitin looked up into the face of Stefan, a fellow schoolmate with a perpetually angry disposition. And the mood he was in now was no exception.

"What the hell is your problem Lanning? Can't you even walk down the hall without screwing up!" Stefan bellowed as he grabbed Kaitin by the shoulders and tossed him to the ground, out of his way. Cursing loudly, he stomped off, but not before slamming his heavy boot into Kaitin's ribs, eliciting a groan from the prone figure.

"_Well that was fun."_ Kaitin sardonically thought to himself as he rose off the ground, rubbing his now aching ribcage. Standing up, he did his best to shrug off the stares and mocking laughs of those around him. _"Someday I'll kick his butt-I think."_ came the vengeful thought as he picked up his pack and started back down the hall. Coming to the nearby corner, headed to the double doors that lead to the science wing, his ears caught a sound he'd come to dread. Rounding the corner he saw what he'd expected-Tad and Yuri with someone backed against the wall, weathering a tide of insults and caustic laughter from the two.

To his surprise, it wasn't one of their usual victims. Rather, it was the darkly unique new girl, with an apathetic look on her face, almost ignorant of the mocking prattle coming her way. _"I knew they'd be after her soon enough, but this is fast, even for them." _Kaitin mused. Mustering his courage, or some suitable substitute, he paced closer, listening to the verbal assault.

"Too good to talk to us, eh? Think yer better than us, do ya?" Tad fired off, as Yuri launched into an unimaginative swearing streak.

As he drew closer, Kaitin finally got a look at the young woman's face, helping him understand Tad's next insult.

"I betcha that things just glued on plastic-She probably got it at the dolla store!" Tad mocked, as Kaitin noticed the gem on the girl's forehead. It was placed right below the peak of her bangs, which swept slightly back then curved down to frame her oval face. Most striking to him was her large, dark blue eyes, which, as they flicked towards him and caught his glance, sent a jolt through him. That sealed it for him.

"_I gotta get these morons to bug off."_ he decided, not quite sure how to do so. Glancing at the two offenders, he sighed under his breath and started forward. He was only feet from Yuri when Tad noticed his approach.

"What are you doing here, Kait-_l_-in?" He sneered, using his group's favorite name for Kaitin. Yuri, finally noticing Kaitin's presence, rounded on him with a characteristic Yuri-ism "Vhadda ya want, _shapyukha_?" with his native Russian tongue thrown in.

Thinking fast, Kaitin decided to go with humor to lighten things up. "Y'know, there are easier ways to pick up girls." He joked as those in the gathering crowd snickered. The attempt was wasted on Tad and Yuri, bringing only scowls in his direction.

"Yeh, your REAL funny Kait-_l_-in. Why don't you just run off before I decide to show you just how funny I think you are!" Tad threatened, his face blotching red with anger.

Just then, the new girl, who had been watching all this with a half curious, half bored expression, spoke up. "Kait-whatever-your-name-is, just go. I don't need your help wit-" She was saying when Tad turned, pushing her against the wall.

"You shut up, whore! We aren't done with you until we've had our fun!" he cursed in her face.

That was it for Kaitin, when his timidity cracked, and all his rage towards the dimwitted duo burst forth in the form of violence. Exhibiting a speed that amazed all present, Kaitin jumped forward and kneed Yuri right in the crotch. With a moan, the big Russian dropped to the ground, his hands shooting to his injured self.

Tad, hearing the moan, let go of the girl, turning to see Kaitin standing over Yuri, kicking him repeatedly in the chest and ribs. Pure hate covered the usually quiet and reserved young man's face. Shock on his face, Tad stood there for a moment, then rushed over to Kaitin, taking him to the floor with a stunning tackle. After all, Tad was the school's second best defensive end. But that didn't mean much to Kaitin. Taking the initiative, Kaitin rolled on top of Tad and began flailing his fists into the redhead's face. By now, the crowd was yelling and screaming, which inevitably drew the hall monitor.

Suddenly, as rough hands grabbed his shoulders and threw him off of Tad, Kaitin slipped back into his usual self. With a dazed expression, he looked around at the messy scene. Yuri was rolling around on the ground, moaning, as he alternately clutched his chest and crotch. Tad, however, was much worse for the wear. As the hall monitor helped him to stand, Kaitin could see the damage for himself. Tad's face was swollen, turning black and blue. His nose was undoubtedly broken, blood rapidly dripping down his lips, his chin and onto his clothes. He was crying, hands cradling his battered face.

The worst thing he saw was the new girl. She was still by the wall, and was looking right at him. Instead of the thankful expression he expected, her face was stony, only her eyes giving away her anger at him. As the crowd dispersed, she began walking away from the scene. Hopping to his feet, Kaitin ran over and grabbed her arm.

"Don't I at least get a thank you!" he queried, confusion rampant on his face. Whirling to face him, the new girl leaned in closer to him and, anger slipping through her monotone voice, gave him his answer.

"I told you-I don't need your help!" she hissed, sending him back a step. "Just go away and stay away."

With that, she spun around and strode off, leaving Kaitin, again, alone with his thoughts.

"_What the hell is her problem! All I wanted was some kinda thanks!"_ With nothing to focus on, he finally noticed the liquid dripping off his hands. Looking down at them, he was horrified to see blood, Tad's blood, staining his knuckles. Rushing for the restroom, to clean the evidence of his angry outburst, one thought repeated itself inside him.

"_Did I really…?"_

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**There ya go! Chapter One is _Finis_. Please R&R for me! Comments, suggestions, everything (Except flaming) is welcome.**


	2. More Or Less

**This chapter goes out to simplegrl007, my first and (so far) only reviewer! Thanks for the support. If I get more reviews, then I'll have more incentive to work on this. It's a simple formula, ain't it? ;D**

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **

Kaitin's morning routine held nothing special, as it never did. The usual happened-getting ready for school and an uneventful ride on the city bus to school. The real fun started when he got to school. The first thing he noticed as he trudged off the bus was Stefan, leaning up against the gym, just across a grassy field from the bus stop.

"_Aw crap." _Kaitin thought _"Well, he's not really friends with Tad's crew-maybe he isn't waiting for me."_

That line of thought flew out the window as Stefan locked eyes with Kaitin. A cross between a scowl and a grin crossed the thug's face as he pushed off the wall and headed right towards Kaitin. With just a second's hesitation, Kaitin whirled for the nearest door and shot off, sprinting towards it. With a hasty glance over his shoulder, his hopes shot up as he saw Stefan chugging along, nowhere near catching the slender young man. _"I'm gonna make it! He's too slo-UGHH!"_

Kaitin learned, the hard way, why you look forward while you run. Not noticing the rapidly approaching brick-encased garbage can, he hit it at full speed. With a harsh smacking sound, he flipped completely over the brick enclosure. His sudden flight ended as he thudded into the ground on his side, his bruised ribs from yesterday's abuse sending pain tearing through his chest. Laying on the ground, panting for breath, he barely noticed Stefan's approach or the mocking laughter from a nearby group of girls.

"Whoa-that was a wicked wreck, Lanning. You still alive down there?" Kaitin's brain registered the calm words from Stefan as booted feet filled his blurred vision. Craning his neck upwards, he saw Stefan, a grin on his face as he reached a helping hand out to Kaitin. Still dazed from the crash, Kaitin grabbed the hand and was quickly standing again. That's when it all hit him.

"_Stefan-not yelling-helped me up-no punching yet-WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"_

Apparently, the shock and confusion was all over Kaitin's face, for Stefan's smirk grew bigger and he opened his mouth to clarify.

"Dude, I wasn't gonna pound ya or nothing. I wanna talk to ya, thas all. 'Course, if you wanna try to go run into some walls, go on ahead." Shaking his head in bewilderment, Kaitin just motioned to Stefan to lead the way inside. Stefan headed right for the door that Kaitin had been aiming for. Shaking his head again to try and clear the muddle inside, he grabbed his pack and followed along.

_------------------------------------------------------------------_

After heading down a couple hallways, Stefan stopped at a secluded bench, set in a recessed area. Slouching onto the bench, he motioned for Kaitin to sit down. Still looking dazed, Kaitin slumped onto the bench, the motion sending pain streaking through his ribs and stomach again. Grimacing at the memory of double injuries, he glanced at Stefan, complementing his confused look with "So you wanted to…talk…to me?"

Stefan sat still for a moment, then, with a smirk on his broad face, spoke. "How'd ya do it, Lanning? You're the last person I expected to put dat punk in his place."

Kaitin didn't answer, closing his eyes instead. Though he'd struggled all morning to forget, he'd been losing ground fast. Stefan's casual comment about yesterday sent it all parading around Kaitin's consciousness. Shuddering at the thought of the whole episode, Kaitin opened his eyes and looked at Stefan.

"How'd I do it? I'll tell you how I did it, Stefan. I snapped. And do you know why?" he calmly remarked. As a confused look crossed Stefan's face, he leaned in towards the other boy. Dropping his voice to an almost inaudible tenor, he gave Stefan his answer.

"I did it because I don't care anymore, Stefan. I'll do whatever-you understand? For your sake, stay away from me, far away. Someday I just might lose it and take you down with me."

As Stefan recoiled in alarm, Kaitin stood up and half-limped off, one arm bent around his twice thrashed ribcage, the other carrying his backpack. As he passed through the doors into the main hallway, Stefan's bellow followed him.

"You really are a freak, ain't you! Go to hell, Lanning!"

Kaitin's only answer was the gloomy thought that crossed his mind.

"_I'm already here."_

_------------------------------------------------------------------_

Rachael Roth was not a happy girl. The bored expression that was always plastered on her face was not an act. She really WAS bored, with most everything, life included. The present and the future blended together in pointlessness, and the past was a hell she didn't want to revisit. And on top of it all, the new school just plain sucked. It wasn't the ostracism from fellow students that bothered her. After all, being cast out was a common thread in her reality. It was the fact that all those around her were the same.

They were no different than most everyone else she'd come across. They all either avoided her as someone "eerie", or mocked and rejected her as a freak. Though she denied it to even herself, she desired to find someone who looked inward, who looked at what she really was. She'd thought she'd found it, once before, but…

Not wanting to dredge those painful memories up, she focused inward, finding a busy argument in progress. The main players weren't the usual "good" and "evil" sides; rather, Rage was busy tearing into Hope, while Sarcasm was watching the whole thing with pleasure. Joy was cowering in the corner, as she always did.

"_Why did you let that pipsqueak get in the way! We should have beaten them all!" _Rage screamed.

"_Why wouldn't we let him help? Don't we want to find someone who won't reject us at first glance?" _Hope answered, puzzled by Rage's point of view.

"_NO! Don't you understand? Now those two don't know the consequences of messing with us again. We had a chance to make them fear, and we lost it!" _came Rage's shriek.

Sorrow covered Hope's face as Rage began rapidly pacing around her. At that, Sarcasm let out a snicker and caught Hope's eye.

"_Go on, you both get along so well!" _Sarcasm laughed, scorn pouring through._ "You know she'll never change her perspective, so quit aggravating her-it makes her even more fun to be around."_

Shaking her head and sighing, Hope headed towards the cowering Joy.

"_You know, I could use your help with these two. I'm kind of out numbered here." _She pleaded as she drew close.

Joy's reaction was unsurprising. She looked up at Hope, her eyes full of futility. Drawing out her answer, she quietly said _"You know I can do nothing to help. Any power I had is gone." _Sweeping her gaze across the various emotions gathered in Rachael's sub-consciousness, she continued on. _"She fights me; she never feeds me, and never gives me an opening to help. There is no hope."_

Mocking laughter floated their direction as Sarcasm strode over. _"As I see it, she's right in front of you. But you're right-you can do nothing. Wait, I take that back-you are great at cowering and whining."_

At that, Joy pulled her knees into her chest and dropped her head into her arms. Hope turned on Sarcasm, annoyance flaring from her eyes. _"You are no help, yourself. Regardless, I see opportunity ahead. And I will use it, with or without your help."_

As Hope knelt by the now sobbing Joy, comforting her, Sarcasm bit right back. _"Do your worst, Hope, but its not me your against." _Nodding towards Rage, she smirked and fell silent. Hope didn't need an explanation. Rage was busy going from emotion to emotion, screaming and pushing her case. To Hope's dismay, she was gaining more supporters than opponents. Looking back at Sarcasm, she shook her head at the bleak path ahead.

BBRRRRRIIIIIIIINNGGGG! The blaring of the hall bell tore the bored girl from her inner turmoil. Glancing around, she cursed as she realized how far from class she was. Breaking into a run, she hoped she'd make it before it was too late.

_------------------------------------------------------------------_

Kaitin knew he'd be late, but he didn't care. It was only Mr. Monson's class, after all. With his bruised ribs making it hard to run, he trudged along down the hall. As he got closer to the classroom door, he glanced up from watching the floor and caught site of another tardy student approaching. As he recognized her, he felt a jolt of trepidation. _"Ah, this could be ugly."_

_------------------------------------------------------------------_

Catching site of Kait-whatever-his-name-was, Rachael inwardly grimaced. Swiftly averting her eyes, she sped up in time to cut in front of Kaitin and into the class. And quickly regretted being the first in. The whole class, glad for a distraction, stared at her. The irritated look on the Mr. Monson's face told her she'd interrupted a monologue. Without a word, she headed straight for her desk and sat down, just in time to watch the outcast young man's entry.

He shuffled into the room, head hanging, with one arm clutching his ribs. Walking down the aisle, he kept his eyes on the ground. As he passed Tad and Yuri's conspicuously empty seats, the whispering in the room grew much louder. Turning her head, she watched him awkwardly slide into his seat and bury his head in his arms. The pathetic site set off another inner argument.

"_We were too hard on the poor guy yesterday-he doesn't seem to have any friends, and he was only trying to help" _Regret mused, drawing Sarcasm's trademark smirk and razor sharp tongue.

"_Looks to me like the boy could try a little harder. Besides, your pity is wasted." _Throwing her arms wide to take in everything, Sarcasm went on. _"She'll never take on a pity project like that wretched creature." _

"_You might eat those words, my cocky friend" _Hope broke in. Cutting off Sarcasm's rebuttal, she motioned outwards, towards the now droning teacher.

_------------------------------------------------------------------_

Kaitin's head came up as Mr. Monson repeated his name.

"Mr. Lanning, glad to see you could join us." The dry attempt at a joke was wasted on the bored class. "Your partner for the Governmental Creation project will be Ms. Roth."

As Mr. Monson droned on with assignments, Kaitin racked his brain to match a face with the name. As he came up with nothing, he noticed the pale new girl glancing at him, bored expression and all. Suppressing a groan, he felt mixed emotions run through him as he put it all together. _"That's why I don't recognize the name. Well, here's your chance to find out more about her."_ Then it was doubt's turn. _"After her reaction yesterday, do you think she'll even want to talk to you? The project will be hard enough; don't count on much else happening." _

Dismayed by this new turn of events, Kaitin dropped his head back into his arms and murmured mockingly to himself "This is gonna be real interesting. I can't wait to see how I'll screw everything up."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**FINIS**

**R&R would really help-anything (except flaming) is great!**


	3. Not Quite Friends

**I gotta admit, I'm having a lot of fun writing this, but it kind of sucks that no ones reading it. It's different, that's for sure, but someone's got to buck the trend. Ah well. Here's chapter three, in all its readable glory. :P**

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"_What is this girl's deal?"_ Kaitin wondered as he sprinted down the hall. His still bruised side made it somewhat painful, but he knew if he didn't catch up to this "Rachael", he'd never get this project going. And the last thing he needed to do was give Mr. Monson ANOTHER reason to fail him.

He'd planned on talking to her after class, but right as the bell rang, she took off. It was all he could do to grab his backpack and get out the door, just in time to watch her turn the hallway corner towards the stairs. Shaking his head in incredulity, he'd taken off after her.

Now, swerving around the corner, he dodged around a group of chatty girls, and then narrowly avoided a foot to the head as he ran through a hack circle. Ignoring the annoyed voices behind him, he skidded to a stop at the top of the stairs, peering down. Catching a glimmer of lavender hair disappearing around a bend, he began descending the steps as fast as he could. It was iffy, but he reached the bottom without losing his balance.

Rounding the afore-mentioned corner, he abruptly stopped. Before him was a teeming mass of freshman. He cursed to himself and scowled at the horde, then stumbled over to the wall as the wave of kids washed down the hall. As he writhed in frustration, the mass of flesh pressed him against the wall, and he was spun around by a passing shoulder. To look right out the dingy school window at Rachael Roth, walking across the campus towards the distant bus stop.

After a second's hesitation, he glanced around frantically for a door. Spotting one, he took a deep breath, then pushed off from the wall and started flailing his way through the flock of freshman. Disregarding the angry curses and cries of pain in his wake, he kicked the door open and took off running flat out.

_"Gotta….catch…..her!" _he resolved to himself in between footsteps. Luckily for him, she hadn't noticed that he was still following her, and she'd slowed her pace considerably. Taking this in, Kaitin slowed to a walk, then smirked as an idea hit him. He quickly judged the distance between him, Rachael, and the bus stop, and then darted around the nearby wall of the gym. And not a second too soon…

_------------------------------------------------------------------_

Stopping for a moment, Rachael glanced over her shoulder, unsurprised to see that she'd shaken her "pursuer". Resuming her walk, she sighed as the barrage of thoughts began.

"_I've heard of running from your problems, but this takes the cake!" _Sarcasm cackled as the other emotions gathered around Rachael's subconscious. Hope looked uncharacteristically angry, glaring at the other emotions, but reserving her anger for one in particular.

"_Stop looking at me like that, Hope. It's not like she HAD to do what I told her."_ Fear whined as she tried to avoid Hope's fiery gaze, without success.

"_Well then, who else should I blame? Sarcasm? Joy?" _Hope spat.

"_Why don't you blame yourself and this foolish plan of yours!" _Rage yelled as she stepped up to Hope, leaving only a small space between the two emotions. "_The boy is of no consequence to you; he is only my tool to be used to further her hate!"_

For a moment, Rachael's sub-consciousness grew quiet as all gathered waited to see Hope's reaction to Rage's verbal assault. Hope's eyes closed, her mouth sealing into a thin line. Silence reigned as one second stretched into two, then ten, continuing into a full minute. After a full two minutes of composing herself, Hope's mouth slowly opened and she evenly gave her reply.

"_What are your motives, Rage? What are you seeking to accomplish, dragging her and us into this abyss of hate and despair?"_

Rage's biting rebuttal was cut off as Hope's eyes flew open, skewering her with a gaze of sheer determination. _"You may serve the dark one, but this path of self-destruction you are leading her on will consume us all! Even he cannot desire that! And neither do any of us-unless I am mistaken." _Hope assumed as she swept her gaze across those closest to her. Fear would not meet her eyes, instead cowering as usual. Joy continued to stare dejectedly at the ground, while Regret nodded, eyes full of sorrow. Sarcasm merely gave an almost imperceptible nod of her head. Rage took advantage of the silence and made her voice heard again.

"_All that shows is that you are all fools! The path, the only path she will tread, is that dictated by her father, the path that I will lead her down. And she will not be lead astray by your pitiful efforts!" _Rage bellowed, working herself into a frenzy as she did so.

"_How can you be so blind?" _Hope quizzed, truly puzzled by Rage's mindset. _"If we are destroyed, you will go down with us! You are plotting your own demise!" _

Rage fumed as Hope spoke, gathering her fury for another assault. Hope finished her vain attempt to reach the hateful emotion, unable to comprehend her. Then she turned as a new voice spoke out.

"_I'm just as interested in knowing what's up with you both, but we've got something else happening-like now." _The inquisitive voice of Curiosity sounded. Ignoring the ensuing chatter, she focused everyone's attention outward. And just in time to watch the ensuing chaos.

_------------------------------------------------------------------_

"_She should be just past this corner." _Kaitin thought as he neared the end of the gym opposite where he'd started. _"I hope I didn't lose her, 'cuz there is no way I'll catch her before next week." _That was his last thought before he rounded the corner. And ran smack into Rachael Roth, his new project partner.

"Ungh!" he grunted at the impact, as they both went down in a heap of tangled limbs and tossed backpacks.

It took Kaitin a couple seconds to recover from the wreck, to catch his breath and shake his head clear. And look right at Rachael's face, mere inches from his, with a jaded look on it. With a jolt of surprise he realized he was lying on top of her, bodies pressed uncomfortably close. He felt heat spreading across his face as he practically dove to the side, coming up into an awkward sitting position.

"I though you knew easier ways to pick up girls." Rachael mocked him as she sat up with a smirk, which she quickly replaced with her usual expression. At that, his already blushing face grew redder, and then he began hastily spitting words out.

"Geezsorryaboutthat-Iwasjusttryingtocatch…that is…the…umm…bus...Rachael, right?" He gracelessly ended his failed attempt to apologize.

Rolling her eyes at his ineptness, she shook her head. "Forget about it, I'm fine." Sighing, she continued on. "Alright, you caught me. Now what?"

Finally coming to his senses, Kaitin gave her a confused look, and then spoke up.

"'Now what?' First explain why the heck you didn't just wait for me after class and avoid this whole accident?"

"Maybe I'm not the social type. We're both here, aren't we; now what do you want?" Rachael said in her usual monotone manner. Kaitin got a peeved look on his face, and then dove right back in at her.

"No, you ain't getting out of it that easy. Tell me why you're avoiding me!"

Rachael's deadpan look was all the answer he needed. For his sake, she decided to make her self clear.

"Do you want my help with this project, or do you want to do it on your own?" The answer an obvious one, she continued on. "I'll help you-but on MY OWN terms, not yours." Smirking, she finished with "Take it or leave it."

Groaning in frustration, Kaitin threw his hands in the air in defeat.

"Fine. But right now, you better do what I say." He ordered, and then went on when she got a threatening look on her face. "Don't argue-just start running because we're about to miss the bus to the library!"

Rachael spun around to see the city bus pulling up to the stop. She cursed, fumbling around for her backpack. Kaitin was already up and running; he hollered over his shoulder at her.

"I got your pack-now let's go!"

Cursing again, she jumped up and took off towards the bus stop.

_------------------------------------------------------------------_

The bus was mostly empty, the quiet setting the tone for Kaitin and Rachael's ride. They'd grabbed a double seat in the back, Kaitin taking the window view. Rachael closed her eyes and tipped her head back, forestalling any attempts by Kaitin to resume their conversation. Sighing, he faced the window and watched the city pass by.

_"Man, what a day. Everything has been crazy since-well, since Rachael showed up."_

Turning his head to the side, his chin on his shoulder, he studied her face. _"I can see why Tad and Yuri were making fun of her-she's so pale, and she has that weird gem on her forehead." _He ran his gaze down, from her forehead to her eyes, then her cheeks, and then her lips. _"But that doesn't make her ugly," _he thought, taking in her whole face now, _"just…different. Now if I can just figure out what's up with her."_

Content to just look at her face, he was unaware that he was staring; he also missed the subtle change in the motion of the bus. He realized, too late, that it was the brakes being applied, and when the driver fully applied them, Kaitin's upper torso flew into the seat in front of him. Tender ribs met unyielding plastic, and the resulting swell of pain tore a ragged gasp from him. Clutching his chest, eyes closed, he let his head rest on the seat in front of him, breathing in shallow pants of air.

"What's your problem?" came Rachael's dry tone. Lifting his head, he looked over to see her watching him, annoyance with a trace of sympathy in her eyes. Shaking his head, he tried to dissuade her.

"It's nothing, I'm just a little sore." He lied, sounding fake even to his own ears.

The expression on her face told him she wasn't buying it. Sighing, he figured he might as well tell her the truth.

"My ribs are bruised pretty badly. I had a, um, bike wreck two days ago, and then I had a bad fall and busted them again." Well, he'd tell her the half-truth.

Her smirk was followed by her sarcastic words. "A little clumsy, are we?"

"If you wanna call it that," he said as he turned towards the window to hide the glum look that crossed his face. Staring out at nothing, he fought to keep depression from overflowing him. Thoughts of Tad, Yuri, Stefan, and other tormentors caused memories to rush him, unbidden, forcing him to recall the pain of days long past.

"_How long has it been since I've felt…happy? I can't remember the last time I really had fun. How did it get this way?" _ Immersed as he was in the past, it took a not-too-soft tap on the shoulder to get his attention. Focusing his eyes, he half-glared at Rachael. "What?"

Her eyes flashed in annoyance as she answered him. "I don't know where you were, but we're at the library. Let's get inside and get this over with."

Blinking at her sudden vehemence, he grabbed his pack and followed her as she swiftly exited the bus, towards the library.

_------------------------------------------------------------------_

The sun was almost completely below the horizon when Rachael and Kaitin finally took a break. Both were somewhat surprised at how much they had accomplished in so short a time, though neither mentioned it to the other. After Kaitin hit the men's room, they grabbed all their reference materials and moved shop into the "study" section of the library. The rest of the library closed about dusk, but this specific section was for students, such as them, to continue working. Leaning back in his chair, Kaitin rested his eyes for a moment and thought to himself.

"_This is going a lot faster then I expected. Rachael's very intelligent, probably smarter than me, though she'll never hear me admit it." _Opening his eyes, he looked across the table at Rachael, who was reviewing their progress. _"And there's something else about her…now if I can just find out more about her."_ Deciding to take a gamble, he made his move. Leaning forward and resting his arms on the table, he spoke up. "So, Rachael, you just moved here recently?"

Glancing up from their work, Rachael gave him first a quizzical look, then her answer, nice and short. "Yeah, about a week or two ago."

Kaitin waited for her to say more, then decided to fill in the silence as she neglected to go any further. "Where from?"

After a few more quiet seconds, she spoke up. "From up north…Spokane area."

Again silence reigned, but Kaitin continued on. "Never been up that way, but I've heard it's nice. Why'd you move down here?"

This time, Rachael chose to glare at Kaitin before answering him. "Are you just ignorant, or are you trying to get on my nerves?"

Kaitin sat back, unsurprised by her reaction but still irked by it. "Well sorry for trying to be friendly-I didn't realize it was so offensive of me." He tossed back at her, sarcasm slipping through his words.

It was her rolling her eyes and dismissing his comment as pointless that pushed him too far. "What the hell is your problem? What have I done to deserve this?" He lashed out at her, incredulity with a swirl of anger in his voice and expression. Despite the growing rage in her expression, he plunged on. "I took on Tad and Yuri for you, and I don't even know you!"

He stopped his rant there, noticing that Rachael's eyes were closed and her fists clenched, knuckles white with anger. Almost a minute had passed when she finally opened her eyes, spearing him with a gaze of pure fury. Standing up, she leaned across the table, her face coming within inches of his. The sheer power of her gaze almost caused him to shrink away, but he held his ground, defiance and confusion written all over his face.

She finally spoke, voice low but quivering with barely held rage. "I told you then, I don't need your help, and I don't want it either." Leaning back and standing up straight, she grabbed her pack and started off, only to stop and look over her shoulder at him. "Oh, and enjoy doing the project yourself. I don't care about my grade."

With that, she briskly headed out the nearby exit.

For a couple minutes, Kaitin sat silent, his brain trying to put together a rational explanation for what had just happened. In the intervening time, a librarian called out from the hall to see if anyone was still there. Receiving no answer, the librarian reached an arm in the room and cut the lights, without bothering to look inside. When Kaitin finally gave up, his head dropped into his waiting hands, and he groaned to himself.

"I knew it would happen like this."

The sun finished slipping below the horizon, leaving Kaitin alone in the now dark library.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Well, that's it for now. This took longer than usual, thanks to Mr. Writer's Block. Cheeky fellow, ain't he? As usual, R&R is a wonderful thing to get an author for their birthday. Or for any day. Like today.**


	4. Still Becoming Apart

**It's taken me half of forever, but here's chapter 4. This one is for -Rosalyn-Araya-, who kept pestering me to write. :P**

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

The only sound that disturbed the quiet apartment was the slow rotation of the overhead fan blades. They didn't accomplish much, merely pushing the stale air around the small room. Not that the lone occupant of the place even noticed. He sat in a battered computer chair, in front of an outdated, but working, computer. The earphones on his head, pumping out music, helped drown out the noisy neighbors. This allowed him to focus on one of the few things that gave him joy.

_Why can't I finish this? _Kaitin mused as he studied the picture on the monitor. Leaning back, he let the light pen he held drop onto its pad. His talent with art had always given him an escape from the pain of reality. But all it was doing now was aggravating him. Glancing down at the desk, he picked up his sketch pad and pondered it. He'd successfully copied his most recent sketch, redrawing it on his computer with a light pen and pad. Lacking money for a scanner, this was his next-best option. But he'd run into an unexpected obstacle.

The drawing consisted of a young girl, standing at the edge of a rooftop. She was looking out over a dreary landscape, the cold, lifeless ruins of a city. She wore simple clothes, bundled against the chilling wind that was astir. Her hair, just short of shoulder length, was wafting with the wind, framing her face. And therein laid Kaitin's problem.

_Her face…it's not right._ He'd sketched her face out in the original, but something about it just didn't fit. It had been tormenting him for the past few hours, as he sat, unable to conjure up the right face. _Maybe I'm not focused enough. _A gloomy sigh escaped his lips, and he shook his head. _Heh. After last night, no wonder I'm so off key._

That thought brought back the events that had lead up to Rachael leaving him on his own to finish the project. _Screw the project. I just want to know why she suddenly hates me or something._ At that thought, his eyebrows furrowed as he questioned himself. _Why am I so interested in her? I know she doesn't want to have anything to do with me. _

Silence ruled for a few moments, and then he answered himself. _I guess it's because she seems like she might understand me. It's not like there is really anyone else here that would. _Silence again reigned as he mulled that possibility over. Then, muttering to himself about how it was all pointless anyways, he pulled off the earphones and headed into his tiny kitchen.

_This apartment isn't much, but at least its mine. _Kaitin's homely place was indeed small. He had a combination living room/office/dining room/everything else, off of which branched his walk-in closet sized kitchen. The hallway across from his kitchen lead to his tiny bathroom, and bedroom, with just enough room for a bed and clothes dresser. Not much, but enough for him to get along. Grabbing a glass, he filled it with tap water and started sipping. Leaning against the counter, he racked his brain for ideas on how to finish out his drawing.

The one that drifted into his head was the last one he'd ever expect. It was so unexpected, in fact, that he choked on his water and, sputtering, dropped the glass into the sink as he gasped for breath.

_That's crazy. Why would I…?_ In the time it took for him to catch his breath, he'd collected his thoughts. _Well, why not. I'll never know unless I try._ Wiping stray water off his chin, he headed back to the computer. Plopping down in the worn chair, he grabbed the light pen and went to work. Closing his eyes momentarily to refresh his mental image, he put the pen to the pad and began finishing the girl's face.

Five minutes later, he again leaned back and studied his work. His gaze swept over the city, the dreary skyline, and the ruins. Satisfied with those, he turned to the girl. He examined her clothes, her hair, and then, with a moments hesitation, her face. To see Rachael Roth's pale face, her large blue eyes looking out at him from behind windswept lavender hair.

_It's complete. She fits, perfectly._ Reflecting for a moment on that train of thought, he leaned his head on his chin. Gazing at her, his mind churned. _I don't even know that much about her, but I saw it in her eyes, the same…lacking. She's all alone, just like me._ Dropping his head into his hand, he suppressed a dismal moan. _And now any chances I had of making a friend of her are gone._

After five or so minutes of self pity, he saved his work and closed his machine down. Grabbing his CD player and headphones, he decided to do what every teenager does when down in the dumps-listen to depressing music. Lying back on the couch, he popped in a mix he'd burned and let the music take him away from the problems of reality.

**No one knows what it's like**

**To be the bad man**

**To be the sad man**

**Behind blue eyes**

_I've never found anyone who even cares to know, to know me or my story. Not that I've ever cared to share it._ Watching the fan blades twirling, he though about the times he'd been through and the things he'd seen. The slow whirl of the fan caused him to smirk at himself. _That's how my life has been. A slow whirlpool, sucking away any chance at making it what I want._

**No one knows what it's like**

**To be hated**

**To be fated**

**To telling only lies**

As the heat of the room slid him closer to sleep, his thoughts trailed off into mushy nonsense. His eyelids grew heavier by the second, lethargy filling his frame. He had time for one last rumination. _That's what it is-she's empty too, just like me._

**But my dreams**

**They aren't as empty**

**As my conscience seems to be **

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

_"It seems to me that what happened last night could have been easily avoided."_ Hope spoke, having returned to her usual calm self. She sat in a little circle, in a group including Regret, Joy, and a newcomer to their circle, Curiosity. Rage was off somewhere ranting, and Fear was probably huddled in a corner by herself. Sarcasm, oddly enough, was nowhere to be seen.

_"We let Rage have her way, and now we have to deal with the consequences,"_ Joy spoke in an almost whisper. The gathered emotions nodded or voiced their agreement, then lapsed into a moment of silence. None wanted to broach the subject of _how_ to deal with those consequences.

The silence was shattered as an inquisitive voice spoke out. _"Why don't we apologize to him?"_ Curiosity said, her face perking up as the idea hit her. _"She could go to his apartment and apologize, and then we could see where he lives!"_ At that, Hope's expression also brightened, as did many of the other emotions. Then Joy, momentarily playing the role of Fear, put her two cents in.

_"How do we know he wouldn't get angry and reject our apology? And how could we get her to even apologize? Fear and Rage won't allow it."_ Her dreary assessment of the potential result turned many bright faces dim again, as Hope's support began to wane. Despair inching over her face, Hope glanced around, looking for some brilliant plan. Her eyes stopped on a fellow emotion, this one with a slump to her shoulders, her head hung low, with a guilty expression.

_"Regret! You are the key!"_ At that, the remorseful emotion flicked her eyes up at Hope, as the other emotions all turned to look at her. Her shameful expression only grew worse with the attention.

_"What do you want of me-can't you see I've already had enough after what happened last night!"_ Hope, undaunted by the dismal plea, stood up and threw her arms out to encompass the gathered, for the most part positive, emotions.

_"None of us have the strength to influence her right now-except you." _Hope went on, the glimmer in her eyes sparking the same optimism in the other emotions. _"You can push enough remorse on her to get her to apologize to him."_ The other emotions began to voice their agreement. All except for Regret.

_"And why should I even try? Tell me that, Hope." _She mournfully spoke, her voice enough to depress those around her.

Hope walked over to Regret, kneeling before her and looking right into her eyes. _"Because, Regret, doing this now will save you from even more shame and pain in the future." _Looking around at the other emotions, Hope addressed them all. _"Do I have your support and trust? For without that, and without unity among us, we cannot stop Rage and her downward spiral." _The gathered emotions all answered in the affirmative, anticipation running electrically thru the gathering. Turning back to Regret, who had again dropped her head, Hope spoke quietly to her.

_"You do this now, for me, and I promise you I will do all in my power to save you and her from this shame you feel." _Using her hand to lift Regret's chin, she locked eyes with her. _"Will you do this, for us all?"_

Regret's eyes closed, and she took a deep breath. Opening her eyes and looking out at the other emotions, she lifted her head and even let a shy smile cross her face. Her voice, still sorrowful but steeled with purpose, whispered out. _"Let's see what I can do." _

The group erupted into a cheer, bringing confused and annoyed looks from other nearby emotions. Hope stood up, a beaming smile on her face, and swept her gaze across all the others. _"Together, we can do this. We must do this."_

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rachael Roth's apartment wasn't much larger then Kaitin's. In fact, the two apartments could have been cut from almost the same mold-the tiny one. Her living room/all around room was flanked by a small, but open kitchen. A little bar jutted three-quarters of the way out from the wall, giving her a decent substitute for a table. Just past the end of the bar was the hallway leading to her room, with a bathroom just off of that.

Rachael herself was laid across a lazy boy, reading. Seeing as how she had neither a television nor a computer, reading became one of her main ways to kill time. She was currently reading "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe. It was an unnerving tale of a grudge, which caused one friend entomb another alive, all in the name of misplaced pride. Normally, she would be engrossed in the dark literature, but both her mind and her emotions were roiling.

No matter how much effort she gave, she couldn't keep focused on the book. Finally, with an angry sigh, she threw the book to the floor and stared at the ceiling. Fight it as she might, she knew she'd have to address the issue that would not let her go.

_Why can't I just forget about yesterday? It's not that big of a deal, after all… _She trailed off, memories flashing across her vision to show her how wrong she was. As the memories came flooding out, she found herself being mercilessly swept further back into the past. Her breathing grew heavier as old wounds began to reopen…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_She lay curled up on her bed, her knees hugged to her chest as she fought sobs. Her room, dark and dismal as always, lay still, save for her ragged breathing. She knew her solitude would only last so long. "They'll come...but I don't want them. I can't…not now…" _

_As she heard the sound of footsteps approaching her room, she managed to gain enough control to silence her breathing. Her attempt at stealth failed, as a tap at her door was followed by voices. Words, apologetic and consoling, floated into her ears, but she refused to hear them. "Leave…just leave!" she yelled, her voice hoarse and anguished. After a moments silence, the voices continued, but managed only to provoke her further. _

_Sitting up and turning towards the door, she gathered her breath and screamed at those beyond the door once more. "GO! JUST LEAVE! NOW!" At that, she heard both retreating footsteps and some loud popping sounds, but she ignored it all and collapsed back onto her bed. Grabbing her pillow, she pressed her face into it and fought to keep fresh sobs from bursting forth. Soon everything faded away as exhaustion overcame her._

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Her head in her hands, Rachael struggled to keep from being overcome by the pain of the past. Shaking her head, she tried to convince herself that things were different. "No…this isn't the same. He's not the same…" Her voice trailed off as she dismissed her own feeble excuses. As another wave of shame crashed into her, she could only moan as she was swept under…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Time lost its meaning as she slipped in and out of fitful sleep. Night blurred into day as she fought the emotions in herself, and any who approached her quarters. They had tried, but to no avail. Hunger came and went, soon realizing it had no real effect on her. Occasionally something nearby would shatter, or crack, or melt. But she paid no heed to these distractions. Until she was awakened from a restless slumber by voices, tight with emotion, outside her door. _

_"…you need…go…talk to her…."_

_"…why!"_

_"She really needs…your ok."_

_"Why should…even bother!"_

_She could only catch snippets, but she was capable of filling the rest in herself. She knew exactly who it was, without a doubt. The first voice, the authoritative one, would be their faithful team leader. And the other one…that would be _him_, the goofster, the annoying one…_

_"Don't…order you!"_

_"Dude…almost killed me!"_

_…the one she had almost killed…_

_"You listen to me…do it…now!"_

_…the one she had loved._

_Against her better judgment, she slowly got out of bed and quietly slinked to the door. Pressing her ear against it, she closed her eyes and prepared for the worst._

_"Screw you, dude! If she couldn't take like one whole hour to see how I was doing, then what the hell do I owe her!"_

_"You know how she has trouble handling her emotions. She was doing what was best for everyone, and you know it!" _

_"…I'll tell you what I know. Since the beginning, I've done everything I could for her. Every damn thing I could think of, to support her, to make her happy, to be there for her. And what do I get in return? Nothing. She doesn't care. All she ever does is treat me like I'm worthless."_

_"What!" Astonished silence reigned for a moment. "You of all people should know how hard it is for her to control her power. I thought you really felt something for her. What happened?"_

_"What happened? What's happened is that I give up. I give up on her. If she felt ANYTHING for me, she wouldn't have put me halfway into the grave. Well, she did. And I quit." _

_Nothing could have prepared her for that. They both stomped away, one chasing the other, but she heard none of it. Eyes closed against the tears now freely flowing, she slid down the door and slumped to the floor. Silent sobs racked her pale body as she mentally shut down, abandoning herself to the agony that was hers to face alone. _

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The transition from past to present was sudden, jolting her back into reality. She was curled up on the floor, cheeks wet with tears. Breathing deep, she conceded to her guilt. "Fine, I'll go apologize to him." Picking herself up off the floor, she headed to the bathroom, to wash the tears from her face and figure out just how she would apologize. Apology had never been something she was good at…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There is a state between sleep and waking, where conscious thoughts mix and blur with those of the sub-consciousness. That's where Kaitin found himself, the still-playing music running in with his thoughts.

**I'll say it straight and plain**

**I know I've made mistakes**

**I've always been afraid**

**I've always been afraid**

_Is she just afraid to reach out…or what? I know I didn't do the best job meeting her, but I did try to help._ His thoughts slipped around his fuzzy consciousness. _Is she…afraid of me? Huh. I don't know what to think. _

**A thousand nights or more**

**I traveled east and north**

**Please answer the door**

**Please answer the door**

**Please answer the door**

**Please answer the door**

**Please answer the door**

**Please answer the door**

**Please answer the door**

As his CD player skipped over and over, he pulled off his earphones, waking partially up. His ice blue eyes widened as he heard knocking at his door, amazed at the unlikely possibility of a visitor. Then his brain yelled at him to go answer the door, which he hopped up and ran to do.

Reaching the door, he scrubbed a hand over his face, and then grabbed the knob and pulled. After a couple tries without it opening, he belatedly realized he'd need to unlock it before he could open it. Quickly unlocking it, he swung it open to see who the surprise visitor was. And just about fell over, shocked to see Rachael standing in the hallway.

Sometimes silence is the best way to go. At least, that's what his brain was telling him. For what seemed like an eternity, they just stood there, Kaitin blinking his eyes in surprise as Rachael, arms around herself, fidgeted at the awkwardness of the situation. Finally, she looked up from the floor and broke the silence.

"Can I come in?" she asked, her voice flat. That was enough to bring Kaitin back into reality.

"Yeah, sure, come on in." Holding the door open for her, her gestured towards the couch. As she passed him walking in, he slowly blinked again, confusion rampant on his face. Shutting the door as Rachael sat on the couch, he grabbed the computer chair and rolled it over in front of the couch, facing her. Awkwardly, he put his hands on his knees and forced himself to look at her.

"So…ummm…how'd you find my place, anyways?" He asked her the first rational thought that came to him.

Her arms still crossed in front of her, she gave him a skeptical look, then her reply. "Phone books are easy to use, you know."

A sheepish look on his face, Kaitin rubbed the back of his neck and glanced away embarrassedly. "Yeah, that's true." Dropping his hand back into his lap, he leaned forward and gave her a questioning look. "So, why are you here?"

His query caused her to fidget nervously, and then take a deep breath. Releasing it, she looked him in the eye and answered. "I came to…apologize about yesterday." Taking another deep breath, she went on. "I was a jerk, and I had no right to treat you like I did."

She stopped as she noticed the almost amused look on his face. Before she could grow angry at him, he spoke up. "That's funny, because I was about to say the same thing." He glanced at the ground, then back at Rachael. "I shouldn't have been so nosy."

Both of them fell silent, considering what the other had said. Rachael closed her eyes, and Kaitin took the chance to study her face. She looked as though she had been…crying? He quickly averted his gaze as her eyes opened. After a few more moments, Kaitin laughed quietly and then spoke. "So, can we call it even?"

Looking as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, Rachael sat up straighter and smirked. "Yeah, that sounds good to me." Standing up, she put her hands on her hips and cocked her head. "Now, why don't we get working on that project?"

Kaitin gave her a wry smile. "Decided your grade matters, after all?" Her answer was a dry look as she headed towards the little table across from the couch.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leaning back in his chair, Kaitin stretched, and took a second to glance at the simple clock on the wall. "Whoa."

Rachael looked up from what she was writing, her expression questioning.

He answered her unasked question by pointing to the clock. Standing up, he grimaced as his stomach growled. Heading into the kitchen, he called over his shoulder. "I'm hungry-how about you?"

For a moment, it crossed Rachael's mind to decline. Unbidden, the memories of earlier started to rise. Mentally chastising herself for her stubbornness, she told him "Yeah, me too."

As Kaitin began rummaging around in the tiny kitchen, Rachael crossed her arms, leaned on the table, and stared off into space. _That was a lot easier than I thought it would be. He's very forgiving. _

Glancing at him, she smirked to herself at the fun he was having cooking. She couldn't tell yet what he was concocting, but it smelled good. Looking down at the table, she again turned back to her thoughts.

_Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he is the same._ Closing her eyes, she fought back a surge of emotion, knowing if she didn't win she'd fall apart again. _And maybe I'm just deluded. _Sighing silently, she opened her eyes. And just in time, as Kaitin turned around, heading towards the table. He had a pan in one hand, two bowls and two forks in the other. Setting everything down on the table, a balancing act in itself, he sat down across from her.

He had a lopsided grin on his face, one side of his mouth turned up further than the other. "I hope you like stir-fry." Then, smile fading, he sheepishly added "I guess I should have asked first, huh?"

Rachael waved his doubts away. "Stir-fry is great. I love good Oriental food."

His grin came back full force. "Cool. Because one thing I can do right is make killer stir-fry!" Handing her a bowl and fork, he pushed the pan her way. "Grab all you want."

After they'd both filled their bowls, silence took over as they dug into their food. Halfway thru her bowl, Rachael looked up and commented on the food. "Wow. You weren't kidding. This is good." Cocking her head to one side, she hit him with a question. "Where did you learn to cook like this?"

Finishing the bite he was on, Kaitin swallowed, and then let a wan smile cross his lips. "Well…when you have a lot of time alone, you can develop your talents." His eyes dropped embarrassedly to the table, and then he dropped his head and went back to eating his dinner. Knowing she had touched on something tender, Rachael also went back to her food. That left them both to their thoughts and their food.

_I'm glad she likes it. It's one of the things I can do right. One of the few. _Kaitin mused to himself. Between bites, he furtively glanced up at Rachael. _It's crazy just to think that she's here, eating dinner with me. After yesterday, this was the last thing I expected. _Struggling to keep from staring at her, he stared at his food. _What's up with me?_ Finishing his last helping, he stood up, and finally looked at her. She was finished, so he took her bowl and the rest of the dishes to the sink. Washing them helped clear his head a bit. Rachael remained silent, so he decided to break the ice.

"I hope you liked it. That's one of my favorite dishes to make." Silence reigned as Kaitin waited, seconds seeming to stretch into hours. Finally, just as he was about to turn around and say something, although he wasn't sure what, she spoke up.

"It was great…thanks." The reply came, almost hesitantly, as though the thanks were given reluctantly. Silence fell again, with only the sound of Kaitin putting things away. Rachael took a hesitant breath, and then broke the silence with a question.

"Why do Tad and Yuri hate you?"

Kaitin turned around then, surprised by her question. His face betrayed his conflicting emotions, and for a moment it seemed to her that he would just turn back around and go on with what he was doing. Instead, though, he came over to the table and sat down.

"Why do Tad and Yuri hate me?" he echoed her question. Shrugging, he went on. "I don't really know. It's just been that way since my freshman year."

Rachael eyebrows furrowed as she spoke again. "Have you done anything to them that would leave them with a grudge?"

At that, Kaitin let out a small laugh and looked away from Rachael. "Like what? Breathe in their presence? Or maybe it's because I have the audacity to still be alive?" Shaking his head, he closed his eyes and sighed. "They don't have a reason. That's just how it is. And they aren't the only ones."

Noticing his obvious discomfort, Rachael decided to give him something worthwhile. "Hey Kaitin? Um…thanks for what you did."

That got a reaction out of him. His eyes flew open and his head came up. A confused expression covered his face. "But…I thought you said…?"

Rachael silently sighed, and a sardonic look crossed her face. "Yeah, I know what I said…but I was angry, and I wasn't thinking straight." She shrugged, and went on. "And knowing what I know now, I can see it took a lot for you to do that. So…thanks."

A small smile arose on his face, and his eyes brightened just a bit. Rachael had to look away. _His eyes-it feels like he can see right thru me. Maybe he might underst…no. _Mentally sighing, she pushed aside the unsettling thought. Then she glanced at the clock, and saw that it was approaching midnight.

"It's later then I thought. I'd better head home." She started to stand, only to be interrupted by Kaitin clearing his throat. He motioned for her to sit back down. Curiosity piqued, she did so, giving her attention to him.

"You rode the bus over, right?" When she nodded, he continued. "Where are you living at?" When she told him, he whistled softly. "That's almost an hour ride from here!"

She shrugged, and waited for him to go on. "Well, you might not have noticed, but this isn't the safest part of town." When Rachael said nothing in return, he hesitantly went on. "If you'd feel comfortable...well, that is, if you think…um…" Kaitin stumbled over his words. Eyebrow arched in interest, she motioned for him to finish his sentence. Taking a calming breath, he managed to finish. "If you want, you could stay the night here, just to be safe."

When her expression didn't change for almost a minute, he started to panic. _Oh man I freaked her out and now she thinks I'm some kinda pervert and what am I gonna d_-

His mental rambling was cut off as she finally answered him. "Okay."

It was all he could do to keep his eyes from widening in shock. Reigning in the smile that wanted to bloom, he hopped up from the table and headed towards his tiny hall closet. "I've some extra blankets and pillows here, and I think I might have an extra unused toothbrush in the bathroom…"

As he went about collecting items and whatnot, Rachael leaned back in her chair and considered what had happened. _Normally I would reject an offer like THAT offhand. But, this is…different. He seemed genuinely concerned about me. _Sighing to herself, she forced down the memories that arose with that thought. _Maybe…and maybe not. _Standing, she went over to see what Kaitin was getting her.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The apartment was dark, save for the moonlight streaming into the living room. It rested on the couch, illuminating the lone figure there. Kaitin stood in the hall, his gaze riveted upon Rachael's face.

Minutes before he'd woken after crashing to the floor. The nightmare he had been immersed in had caused him to thrash himself off his bed. Though he couldn't remember much, he'd headed to the bathroom to wash his face and banish the demons of his sub consciousness. After splashing his face, he'd dried off and started back towards his bed. And then he'd noticed Rachael. After taking a moment to remember why she was asleep on his couch, he'd gazed at her face. That put him where he was now.

_She's…she's beautiful. Why didn't I notice earlier? _In the back of his awareness, his brain was telling him it was just an illusion, just the moonlight. He wasn't listening. _She looks so peaceful there, asleep. _A stray thought struck him. _I wonder if I'm that peaceful in my sleep? _After what felt like mere seconds, but was more like minutes, he forced himself to turn back towards his room.

He was almost there when he stopped and turned around. He could just make out her face, bathed in the radiance of the moons rays. _I hope what happened today means that we are at least friends. _Sighing, he turned one last time and retreat towards his bed and the bliss of nightmare free sleep.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morning came sooner then it had any right to. Kaitin, his head in his pillow, cracked one eye open just enough to look at his alarm clock. What he saw caused him to almost jump out of bed.

"Holy crap! It's almost noon! How'd I sleep in so late?" Hopping out of bed, he walked out of his bedroom, clad only in boxers. Too late, he remembered that he wasn't alone in the apartment. Or at least, he hadn't been alone.

To his immediate relief, the couch was empty, blankets folded and stacked. Darting back in his room, he threw on a shirt and some shorts, then headed back out into the living room. Passing the empty bathroom, he came out into the living room. And noticed that he WAS alone in the apartment.

Shaking his head in mystification, he scanned the small apartment. _Did I just imagine what happened last night? _As his eyes passed the computer, he noticed a small note tucked under the keyboard. Hurrying over, he pulled the note out and read it.

_Kaitin,_

_Thanks for dinner, and for a good nights sleep. I put the finishing touches on our project while you were still asleep. It's all on the table. See you tomorrow._

_Rachael_

Glancing at the table, he saw that the project was indeed finished and compiled. Looking back at the note, he couldn't help the smile that split his face. _Maybe things aren't so bad after all…_

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**This one was a lot longer then the last, and longer almost then I intended. But, hey, it just means you had more to enjoy, right? R&R much appreciated!**


	5. Echos

**Many apologies for the wait. Life has been mega-hectic recently. I'm working a lot of hours right now, so I don't have much time to write. I'll do better, I promise.**

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The morning dawned, the sunlight pouring through the window shades. Illuminating the tiny room, it elicited a groan from the mound of blankets on the bed. The mound shifted, and then grew still again. Only to groan again and roll off the bed as a piercing wail filled the room. Kaitin rose up, shedding blankets as he wearily reached for the alarm clock. One of the blankets refused to let go, causing him to crash to the ground. Mumbling curses he stood back up and, grabbing his alarm clock, threw it across the room. Heading towards the bathroom, he shook his head clear. _I hope this day goes better than it started_.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Glancing one last time at the clock, Kaitin cursed at what he saw. _If I don't hurry there's no way I'll make it in time._ Unzipping his backpack, he frantically stuffed the papers and pictures that made up the project. Wincing as some of the papers crumpled, he glanced at the table, and, making sure he had it all, zipped his pack up. Running to the fridge, he yanked the door open and grabbed the first thing he saw. Shoving the apple in his pocket, he ran out the door. Halfway down the hallway, he spun around and headed back to close and lock his door. Shaking his head at his own ineptness, he sprinted for the stairs.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Normally, Kaitin's art credit was his most enjoyable class of the day. But his sudden inability to focus was making a mess of his attempt to finish his sketch. His impatience caused him to glance up at the clock every few minutes. _Can't that thing go any faster?_ His constant glares did nothing to speed up the slowly ticking timepiece.

Frustrated, he slapped his pencil down on the table and dropped his chin onto his clasped hands. Noticing the odd looks coming his way, he sheepishly dropped his eyes and began to "study" what he had accomplished so far. Not much, he saw, to his dismay. He was supposed to be working on character sketch, but so far all he had was the vague outline of some generic male. And the outline itself was fairly shoddy, definitely below his usual quality work.

This realization brought nothing but more stress and frustration. Just about the point where he felt he would lash out at something, be it the drawing or a nearby student, salvation came. The clear, ringing tone of the lunch bell announced the end of his worries, at least temporarily. He was up and out in the hall in moments, the partial drawing already long forgotten.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

He quickly found Rachael in the courtyard. They went over the project, and prepared everything for their presentation. After they had everything assembled, they both sat back and ate their lunch. They were in a quiet section of the school's large courtyard, and most of the usual school noise was muffled by the nearby trees and other foliage.

Kaitin took another bite from the apple he'd grabbed from his fridge that morning. Chewing the tender flesh, he pondered the past few days' events while staring at a nearby rock. Much had changed since the day he had run into Rachael. For the first time ever, he had stood up to Tad and Yuri's constant mocking. Even if it hadn't been a completely rational action, he still felt freer then he had before. Liberated from their hateful attention, at least for the time being, he found that those around him looked at him with a new light.

_"And I think I might have found a friend." _Glancing over at Rachael, he found her looking back at him. His eyes widened a bit to find her watching him, eliciting a remark from her.

"Find anything interesting?" She sarcastically queried, motioning to the rock he'd been staring at. He blushed slightly at that, and then shook his head. Seeking a moment to clear his thoughts, he spotted the nearest garbage can. With a flick of the wrist, he tossed the apple core into it.

Turning his attention back to Rachael, he was silent for a moment, and then hesitantly spoke to her. "Hey, Rachael, can I ask-" His question was abruptly cut short as the bell's shrill alarm rang through the courtyard. It was left unfinished as they both gathered their belongings and headed towards Mr. Monson's class. Sighing inwardly, Kaitin hurried to catch up to Rachael. _I guess I'll just have to ask her later…maybe. _

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Their presentation went surprisingly well. All the preparation and hard work paid off. They managed to use all the allotted time, and get all the information across that they needed to. After closing up, they headed back to their seats. As he sat down, Kaitin glanced up at Rachael. Sensing his glance, she turned partially around, and gave him a little grin. Settling into his seat, his heart fluttered for just a moment. Smiling sardonically at himself, he leaned back and focused on the next group's project.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class ended soon enough, and Kaitin was out the door as quickly as possible. Leaning on the balcony railing, he waited for Rachael to come out the door. After the flood of bodies out the door subsided, out came Rachael. Catching her eye, he waved and fell in line with her as she started walking.

"I bet we totally aced that!" He exclaimed. Rachael glanced over at him, a dry look on her face. Her deadpan answer followed the look.

"It's not like we had a lot of competition."

Shaking his head, Kaitin agreed. "Yeah, your right. It looked like some of those groups didn't even try." Glancing back over at her, a mischievous smirk covered his face. "Of course, Mr. Monson probably just gave us a good grade because you're the only person in there that can compete with him." In answer to the quizzical look she gave him, he went on. "'Class, today we will talk about…'" he began mimicking in a dry, boring voice. And just as quickly finished, the warning from Rachael's half-lidded eyes and pursed lips more than enough.

Silence took over as they walked along. Kaitin pondered how to restart their conversation, if it could even be called that. He barely noticed as they went thru a set of double doors, and outside. He was still undecided in his approach when a hand waving in front of his face caught his attention.

"This would be a good time to stop walking." Rachael stopped her hand as he noticed they were almost to the street. While he stood there, regaining his bearings, Rachael turned and began to walk off. It took him a moment to realize she was leaving.

"Rachael! Wait!" At the sound of his voice, she paused, and turned partially around. Looking over her shoulder at him, she waited for him to continue.

For a moment Kaitin stood silent, as if deciding what to say. Then he opened his mouth and spoke. "Thanks for your help."

He looked as though he wanted to say more, but was unable to for some reason. Rachael smirked and spoke back. "Thanks for your patience." Leaving it at that, she resumed her trek to the bus stop.

It wasn't until she was boarding the bus that Kaitin was able to say what he'd been searching for. The words fell softly from his mouth, reaching no one. "Friends, right?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Rachael sat, watching the city pass by the bus window, the monotonous view lulled her into a drowsy state. As she struggled to stay awake, her sub-consciousness came alive with discussion.

_"Well, things are definitely looking up. That went very well, especially the apology." _Hope's analysis was met with murmured agreements and nodding heads. All except for one.

_"Please, do you seriously think that was more than a fluke?" _Sarcasm's acid voice sliced into the congenial atmosphere. As she sauntered into the midst of the group, she was met with many a leery stare.

Hope spitted her with an irked glare. _"I don't remember requesting your presence here, Sarcasm. What is your business in being here?"_

Rolling her eyes, Sarcasm slowly shook her head. _"I'm here to open your eyes." _Running her gaze across the group, she continued on. _"Someone has to make you aware of how small a 'victory' you've achieved." _

Suppressing a flare of uncustomary anger, Hope drew in a deep breath, allowing it to calm her. That done, she glanced around, and then addressed the other emotions.

_"Do we desire to hear what Sarcasm has to say?" _

After a fairly lengthy pause, punctuated only by muffled whispers, Curiosity's inquisitive voice spoke out. _"Why not? Maybe what she has to say will be useful?"_ Her questioning answer was followed by murmurs of assent. Turning to Sarcasm, Hope motioned for her to take the floor, as it were.

Sideling forward, Sarcasm stopped in the middle of the group's haphazard circle. She stood quiet for a moment, waiting for the chatter to cease. Finally, she cleared her throat very noisily, which quickly put the chatter to an end. Having gained the desired silence, she looked at each emotion in turn, and then began.

_"So you are all excited, believing that you have scored big against Rage's suicidal campaign? I can't imagine why." _She gave the group a few moments to figure out if that was meant to be sarcastic or not, then continued. _"And just what have you accomplished, hmmm? You managed to get her to work with him on a project. Yes, she apologized, and yes, they got along 'well enough'. And there is a simple enough explanation as to why." _Sarcasm stood silent for a moment, letting the suspense build among the gathered emotions. When it grew to the point where it was about to burst, she finished.

_"Their time together was only temporary. That is why she was willing to play along with your little game. But, now, she is free of him, and soon she will be free of your influence too." _With one last pause to let her words sink in, she sat quiet. Voices began to sound, and irate words began to fly as confusion grew. Content with the disorder she had caused, Sarcasm slipped out of the circle, sparing only a glance back as she retreated. Shaking her head once more, she mused to herself. "If that's enough to throw them into turmoil, how are they ever going to stop Rage's plans? "

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The little book shop had a musty odor to it, the scent of tomes both ancient and worn. Seeing as how the shop front itself was small, with even smaller windows, an insufficient amount of sunlight came thru. Thus, the shop was dimly lit, giving it a somewhat mysterious air. Or so Mr. Glenn Havrest, Kaitin's boss, said. Glancing over at his boss, Kaitin smiled to himself.

It had been blind luck that he had stumbled across the store. He had been walking, somewhat aimlessly, downtown, when the door had opened in front of him. He'd stopped just in time to avoid a collision with a departing patron, and then noticed the sign above the door. It was worn, with peeling paint, but the letters were still legible. _"Timeless Treasures"_, the sign proclaimed. At first he had almost walked away, but his curiosity got the better of him. He'd gone inside, and quickly met the owner and only employee, Mr. Havrest. Kaitin took an instant liking to the man, and the feeling appeared to be mutual. After an hour's worth of conversation, Mr. Havrest offered Kaitin a job at the store. With but a few moments contemplation, Kaitin had accepted, with one condition-that he be allowed to set up a small art section in the back. Mr. Havrest had gladly accepted, and Kaitin had been working there ever since.

Which had been quite a bit of time. Months had passed by, seeming to come and then go without stopping. One semester had flown by, leading to the next, with a different line up of classes. A lineup which didn't include Mr. Monson's class.

The end of that class had also signaled the end of his attempted friendship with Rachael Roth. Unsurprisingly, he was unable to catch her around school. He tried diligently, but eventually gave up when there were no possible signs of success. Although he couldn't seem to find Rachael, he had no trouble finding Tad and Yuri. Although they never physically threatened him, rarely even speaking to him, they always seemed to be around. Yuri generally seemed to be just tagging along with Tad, as though he couldn't care less about Kaitin and what had happened. Tad, however, went out of his way to glare at Kaitin, smoldering hatred in his eyes.

At first it had really unnerved Kaitin, but he had soon grown used to it, almost to the point of not noticing it. Stefan, on the other hand, seemed to go out of his way to avoid "Crazy Lanning". All in all, things were much better then they had ever been. Except for not being able to see or talk to Rachael. He still wasn't sure what his…fascination, dare he say?... was with her, but he couldn't seem to forget her.

Left to himself, with really no one to spend time with, his art had flourished. Using his trusty light pen and his creativity, he had created an entire series. Kaitin had taken those around him, those he saw and the few he knew, and portrayed them as he saw them.

This led him to create some very interesting portraits. Most seemed to be set in a decaying landscape, modeled after the local area. They were all very detailed. He had pictures of himself, as an aimless wanderer. Stefan was shown as a mismatched patchwork of dark and light. Even Tad and Yuri had portraits, emphasizing Tad's fury and Yuri's misguided spite. But the central figure in most of the drawings, unsurprisingly, was Rachael.

Each drawing was different, but all emphasized the same thing; the emptiness he had seen in her eyes. All had her set against a backdrop of ruin and woe, and all depicted her with a delicate balance of frailty and vitality. And in every single one, she was looking out at the viewer.

_I just can't seem to forget what I saw in her. It was just so…familiar, like I was looking in a mirror._ Kaitin cut off his musing as Mr. Havrest's voice floated into the back room. He didn't catch what his boss was saying, but before he could ask him, he heard the front door ring as a customer entered. Figuring things out by himself, he quickly jogged towards the front of the shop, the books he'd been looking for tucked under his arm.

On his way there, he decided to take a shortcut through a narrow space between two bookcases. A flash in his peripheral vision was all the warning he had. It gave him enough time to twist his body to the side, to try and minimize his contact with the customer. It wasn't enough. The collision was jarring. The customer fell back, slumping against the nearby bookshelf. Kaitin tripped over the customer's shoe, and sprawled out on the floor, books flying every direction. He shook his head to clear it, then quickly rolled over and stood up to apologize.

He was just as quickly struck silent as he laid his eyes upon the dazed, but unhurt, customer. Dark blue eyes stared back at him with anger, which began to fade as recognition entered. He didn't need the lavender hair or crimson forehead gem to realize who stood before him.

"Lanning?" came Rachael's startled query. "What are you doing here?"

Ignoring her question, he asked her one of his own. "Are you okay?"

A quick flash of annoyance passed through her eyes, then faded. "I'm fine. And you?"

"I'm okay, just a little winded." He told her with a sheepish grin. "Sorry about that; I seem to be bad about 'running into' you."

Rachael grimaced at the pun, and then stooped to help Kaitin as he began gathering the scattered books. They worked in silence for a few moments, as Kaitin marveled at his turn of luck. _This is crazy. I was just thinking about her, and now she's here. _Deciding not to question his luck, he finished up with the books in his reach and turned to her. Accepting the books she held out, he thanked her, and then had her follow him to the front counter. As he began putting the books in the display case, he glanced up at her, and then took the plunge.

"So where have you been these past months?"

His abrupt inquiry seemed to startle her for a moment. Then her usual dry look and tone took over.

"School, the usual." She nonchalantly answered. The skeptical look that appeared on his face told her everything.

"Uh huh, right. And I happen to have not seen you because…?" His open-ended question hung in the air as he beckoned for her to answer.

Sighing inwardly, Rachael settled on telling him a white lie. "Look, I'm just not a people person."

"Oh, ok, so it's not _just _me that you're avoiding, but everyone." The sarcasm in his tone caused her eyes to widen somewhat. "Good to know I'm just a face in the crowd."

Before she could think of a biting comeback, they were interrupted by Mr. Havrest. Glenn paused for a moment, as if just noticing the conversation he had disrupted, and then came forward to drop another pile of books for the display case on the counter.

"Sorry to interrupt your conversation, Kaitin, but I need you to stock the rest of these." Darting a look at Rachael, he then looked at Kaitin, awaiting an introduction.

"Mr. Havrest, meet Rachael Roth, an…acquaintance of mine." Glancing at Rachael as he spoke, he put particular emphasis on _acquaintance_. Her reaction surprised him. Upon hearing the word, she shot Kaitin a fleeting look that held…regret? As she and Glenn exchanged greetings, Kaitin mulled over what he had seen in her glance. _Did I see regret? Maybe…?_

Kaitin focused back on Glenn as he turned back to Kaitin and pulled something out of his pocket. He kept the item hidden in his hand as he addressed Kaitin.

"Well, Kaitin, I wanted to give something to you. I know payday isn't for another week and a half, but I wanted to reward you in advance. I've been very pleased with your hard work, and your amiable company." As he praised Kaitin, causing the young man to turn a slight shade of red, Rachael began to walk away. Glenn caught the movement and turned towards her. "Stay for just a moment, Ms. Roth. This might interest you also." Turning again to Kaitin as Rachael stepped back, he came to his main point. "I have recently acquired some concert tickets to use as a raffle giveaway, but I'd rather give them to you. If you're interested, here are two tickets to the concert this weekend."

He extended his now open hand to Kaitin, tickets resting on his palm. Kaitin's mind started running in circles. _Tickets…two tickets. That's great, but where's the fun in going to a concert alone? _A quick peek at Rachael sent his thoughts spinning. _She's the only person I could ask…or would ask. But she wouldn't… _He faltered as doubt reared its ugly head. As he wavered, the clear voice of desire rang through his head. _Just do it._ Internal conflict resolved, he took the tickets from Glenn's hand.

"Thanks, Mr. Havrest. It's been a reward just working here with you." Kaitin praised as he gave his boss a thankful smile. _More then you'll realize._

Glenn returned the smile, then turned and headed back into the shop's store room, leaving Kaitin and Rachael alone once more. Silence reigned once again. Finally, fed up with the awkward quiet, Kaitin steeled his nerve and forced out the apology he'd been dwelling over.

"Sorry I was rude. It's been a long day." That out, he let a silent sigh of relief escape.

Mild surprise flickered in Rachael's eyes. Rather then speak in return, she merely nodded her acceptance of his apology, then stood quietly.

_Well, here we go. _Holding the tickets up, Kaitin let a small grin cross his face. "You free this weekend?" Outwardly confident, his stomach was a twisted knot of apprehension.

Rachael's expression remained the same for a few more moments, as she internally debated the offer. Then, her decision made, she cocked her head to the side, smirked, and gave her answer. "What do you think?"

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The city music hall was a decent sized structure, capable of holding a fairly large group of people. This particular night, it was just shy of packed. In front of and below the large stage was a flat semicircle, extending out and away. This was the main floor, packed with people of all ages. In the middle of this, set about fifty feet from the stage, was a VIP platform, twenty feet up. A single staircase, roped off and guarded by a bouncer, led up to the top.

The view was great, the mist that was being blown around creating a feeling of floating for those on the VIP platform. When Glenn had given Kaitin the tickets, he'd neglected to tell him they were VIP tickets. However, he soon found out that this bonus was offset by the actual concert itself. The front band, some locals, had been fairly mediocre, as front bands usually were. The main band itself was decent, but Kaitin quickly found himself losing interest. Instead, he turned his attention to Rachael.

The two of them were at the front of the platform, leaning against the railing. Turning his glance away from the wildly gyrating band members, he sneaked a look at her. As usual, she was dressed plainly, wearing jeans and a dark top. She had little or no makeup on-in fact, Kaitin didn't think he'd ever seen he wear much makeup.

_She doesn't even really try to glam herself up, like most girls. Most guys probably wouldn't give her a second glance. _Pulling his gaze away from her and back to the stage, he winced to himself. _So why am I still interested in her? _All thoughts of the band gone, he stared blankly at the stage as his thoughts turned inward and he pondered the answer.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rachael had never been much for concerts, and this one was no exception. To her, most bands sounded pathetic live, and weren't worth the money spent on tickets. Of course, it's not like she'd anything better to do for the weekend. Even though this concert was free, she was still a little uncertain as to why she'd agreed on going. She hadn't expected to run into Kaitin, and that had put her off balance. Then his sudden sarcasm and anger had bewildered her further. His introduction of her to Mr. Havrest had sent a twinge of sorrow through her.

_I guess I have been avoiding him…sort of. _That thought summoned up a whirlwind of emotions. Fighting to banish them, she closed her eyes and focused. Once she'd managed to push them to the far corners of her mind, she turned her head and glanced at Kaitin. _Maybe he was angry because I'm the only person who…what? Doesn't seem to hate him? Is his friend? Or…maybe…understands him? _

The last thought in that train sent a shiver through her. A cold voice spoke to her from the recesses of her consciousness. _You don't understand him, you pity him. _Shivering again at the voice's iciness, she looked away from Kaitin as another voice spoke. Full of self-pity, it whimpered to her_. Who will understand you?_ Growing irritated with her inner monologue, she glanced back at Kaitin to see him staring at the crowd, deep in thought. Turning away from him, she idly scanned the crowd just below the VIP platform.

_Nothing new. Just the usual wannabe freaks, convinced they have to be 'different' from everyone else. If only they knew that they aren't missing much. _Smirking at that thought, she scanned a different section of the crowd. She half-heartedly glanced over a group of faces, a few of which were turned upward towards the platform, seeking anyone "famous". Her gaze was past them and going on when her brain caught up.

Eyes widening, as her stomach suddenly hollowed, she raked her gaze back towards the group of upturned faces. Her mind told her it couldn't be, that she was just imagining things. Then, knuckles white as she gripped the railing, she found the face she was looking for.

Dread surged through her as her eyes confirmed what her mind was denying. Her mouth dropped open as her breathing grew fast and shallow, while her mind repeated one short sentence. _No…it can't… NO!_ With that thought, she did the only thing she could.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kaitin's deep musing was cut off as he felt a hand grab his arm and roughly pull him away from the railing. Eyes coming back into focus, he turned his head to catch a glimpse of his sudden assailant. His mind spun as he saw the back of Rachael's head, lavender hair whirling as she hurriedly dragged him towards the stairs down. Opening his mouth to protest, all he managed to get out in his confusion was a yelp of surprise.

That was enough. Rachael stopped, and turned around, loosening her grip on his arm somewhat. The despair in her eyes shocked him into a few moments of silence. Finally regaining his voice, he said the first thing that came to his puzzled mind.

"What the hell are you doing?" The confusion in his voice softened the phrase somewhat, but it still came out harshly. Still, he wanted to know what the big deal all of a sudden was.

Rachael sat quiet for a moment, a dazed expression on her pale face. Then, shaking her head, she answered him.

"We…I…need to leave here." Unable to meet his eyes, she went on. "I can't explain…I just need to leave. Please."

It was the "please" that took the wind out of Kaitin's planned retort. Sliding his arm out of her now loose grip, he motioned for her to follow as he walked past. _Is it just me or is this weird? Well…whatever._

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The car ride to her apartment was painfully silent. Kaitin paid attention to the road, occasionally glancing over at Rachael, only to see the same sight every time. Leaning up against the door, she stared out the window at nothing in particular, apparently lost in thought. Sighing inwardly, he suppressed the urge to try and snap her out of her reverie.

Glenn, being the charitable individual he was, had allowed Kaitin to borrow his car for the concert. That simplified the problem of the large distance between their respective apartments and the music hall. The downside was that it made for a quiet ride home. Sighing inwardly again, he focused on the road and tried to think of something other then the enigma sitting next to him.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Things had been quiet around the tower recently. She had spent most of her time in her room, only emerging for the basic necessities of life. Most of her effort had been spent in avoiding the others. Since the incident, she had known that she would have to face the other team members eventually, but she knew she wasn't ready. Unfortunately for her, fate didn't check to see if she was ready or not._

_It seemed like a simple thing, to sneak out late that night and enjoy some herbal tea, sitting in solitude on the roof of the tower. Everything was quiet as she brewed the tea. Clutching the mug in her hands, she started towards the roof access. She heard the footsteps with just enough time to slip into the nearby shadows._

_The nearest hall door opened, and in shambled the team's leader. The site of him sent a pang of guilt through her. She knew he'd been worrying over her and what had happened. Being the good leader that he was, he couldn't sleep while his team was suffering. _

_Watching him stumble to the fridge, she remembered all the times he'd been there for her. He was like the brother she'd never had, looking out for her and never losing faith in her. Deciding to remain silent, she stayed huddled in the dark corner. She watched as he slammed the fridge door shut in frustration, then shuffled dejectedly over to the groups computer. He proceeded to read through a smattering of files, with no real objective other then to calm his frazzled mind._

_She decided to make her exit a few minutes later, back towards her room. She figured the whirring of the computer would keep him from hearing the door. With almost perfect timing, her leader turned the machine off just before she pressed the touchpad for the door. The noise of the door seemed deafening in the resulting silence. He whirled towards the sound, addressing it with the ubiquitous question._

"_Hello? Who's there?" The resulting silence was all the answer he needed. "Ra-"_

_She cut him off before he could finish her name. "Don't. Not now, not here." Just as she started through the open door, she heard him jump out of his seat and start towards her. _

"_Wait. Please, just hear me out." He pleaded with her as he approached her._

_After a moments thought, she turned around to face him. She knew how this conversation would end, and she knew that she should just walk away. But she couldn't blow him off, not him. He'd been her only family for a time, and that bond was too great for her to ignore him._

"_Look, I know things have been crazy lately. But you need to stop hiding from the rest of the team." He held up a hand to preclude any complaints. "Please, just let me finish." When she nodded her assent, he went on. "What happened was…regrettable. But you're still part of the team and everyone still cares, and we are all concerned about you." _

_At that last sentence, her face contorted into a scowl, and she made herself heard. "Don't lie to me. I heard your little 'conversation' outside my door last week." _

_For a moment his face showed confusion, and then fell as realization dawned. His mouth opened wide as he tried to explain. "No, it wasn't like you heard. Bea-"_

_Anger mixed with sorrow in her voice as she cut him off. "Beas…Be…" she struggled to finish the name as emotion thickened her throat. "He doesn't care. I heard it from his mouth, and I know he was serious." Her cup of tea, which she had set on the counter, was abruptly enveloped in a black aura, after which it exploded. Ignoring the sudden blast, she shook her head, as she fought back a surge of grief. "It's over. I'm…I have to get out." _

_Turning around, she resumed the trek to her room. A morose sigh, followed by a quiet voice, halted her._

"_Whatever you do, I'll support you. Just remember this-wherever you go, whatever you do, we are here for you. You will always be one of us."_

_Choking back the emotion that swelled her throat, she hesitated for a moment, and then managed to speak one last phrase. _

"…_Thank you."_

_Her quick footsteps were followed by the swishing of the door opening, then closing. As her footsteps faded away, a sigh filled the silence. Then another door swished open, and the hall was left dark and silent, as it had been._

_---------------------------------------------------------------_

As Kaitin pulled Glenn's car into a parking space at Rachael's apartment complex, he glanced over once again at her. She seemed to have returned from wherever she had been. As he shut everything down, he twisted towards her and caught her attention.

"Well, here we are." He said, stating the obvious. He was surprised by the absence of a witty response from Rachael. Instead, she seemed unable to meet his gaze.

There was a moments silence as he waited for her to look at him. Instead, her eyes downcast, she uttered a quiet "Thank you," and then quickly opened the door and got out. Without a backwards glance, she walked away. Shaking his head at her odd behavior, Kaitin started the car up and headed home.

---------------------------------------------------------------

When he stepped into his apartment, the first thing Kaitin noticed was the mail, which had been shoved under the door by the landlady. He was surprised to see more then the usual bills and junk mail. Picking it up as he walked in, he tossed the keys and his wallet on the kitchen table, then began sorting through the mail.

_Bill, bill, junk... _he thought as he sorted. _Hmm...what's this?_ Examining the letter closer, he saw it was from the courthouse of a city about 60 miles away. As he considered it, a feeling of foreboding ran through him. Shaking off the chill, he tore open the letter and read the single hardcopy page within.

After skimming through the usual **To:** and **From:** section, he came to the meat of the memo. **Kaitin Lanning, in accordance with judicial code**_…_sighing, he skipped past the legal speak…**you are summoned to testify as a witness at the criminal trial of Devin Vanger…**

He didn't need to read the rest. In fact, he couldn't. Fear and loathing shot through his body as he slowly began to sink down towards the floor, the world spinning around him. Grabbing hold of the table, he stood again, body trembling with the emotional effort. Stumbling over to the couch, he managed to collapse onto it before he was sucked into a void of agonized memories and shattered hopes…

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**To my merry little band of reviewers-I LOVE YOU ALL, YOU ROCK! To anyone else who is reading this-Please, take a moment or two to leave me a review. Your feedback is greatly anticipated and very much appreciated. Oh, and my birthday was this month, so what better gift than a shiny new review!  
**


	6. Time ScarPartial

**Well, I need to start off with an apology to my coterie of readers. Life has been VERY busy for me. My current job, landscaping, leaves me with little free tiem, during which I am usually bone tired! So the last thing on my mind is to write more. But I haven't given up on the fic. And I owe -Rosalyn-Araya-, Jennifer.the.emotionless, Araya, simplegrl007, littlelostangel, and Golden-Sama a well written, complete fic. So I promise ya'll that I'll finish it. For now, here's the 6th chapter, about 3/4's finished. So enjoy!**

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_No…no! Stop…just stop…please! PLEASE!_

_The fearful pleas rang through the small home, pouring into his ears. Closing his eyes tighter, he begged for it to stop, to end. But still they came, clear even in the small hiding space. _

_AAAAUGH!_

_Even with his hands clamped over his ears, he could clearly make out the agonized scream. Tears forced their way out of his closed eyes as he struggled to suppress the cry of sorrow inside. He failed. _

------------------------------------------------------------------------

With a sudden jolt, Kaitin's eyes slammed open. At first, everything was a blur. With agonizing slowness, shapes began to form, followed by motion. His eyes riveted on the slowly revolving fan blades above him. His rapid panting grew slower, as he became aware of where he was.

He slowly pulled himself up, ending up in a seated position. Somehow he'd ended up on the couch last night. Scrubbing his face with his hands, he wiped away some of the sheen of cold sweat from his skin. Head in hands, he shook it as he recalled the terror that had been his through the night.

The memories that had haunted him-it had been so long since he had repressed them, forced them into a cold dark corner of his awareness. He had forgotten them, wanting never to deal with them again. And then, that letter-

A thumping sound at his door jarred him from his reflection. It was a few moments before his synapses fired enough to tell him what to do. He opened his mouth to yell something, but all that resulted was a scratchy whine. After more seconds, during which the thumping repeated itself, the idea of opening the door came to him. Getting up from the couch, he shuffled to the door, unlocked it, and opened it enough to see outside.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a sleepless night, Rachael had finally decided that, whether or not who she'd seen was really who she'd thought it was, she owed Kaitin an apology. After all, he had invited her, free tickets and all. And other then what had happened, it had been somewhat enjoyable. It wasn't his fault, after all, if she _might _have seen someone she didn't want to.

So she'd taken the long bus ride over, and spent a few frustrating minutes pounding on his door. Just as she was about to give up and head back home, or something, the door had cracked just barely, and Kaitin's eye had peeked out. She saw the recognition bloom in his eye, but the door stayed where it was. After some awkward silence, she decided to figure out what was up.

"Ummm…are you going to let me in or just stare at me?" she asked in her usual dry tone.

Kaitin opened his mouth to speak, closed it again, swallowed, and then spoke.

"Right now might not be the best time…"

Rachael almost recoiled at the sound of his voice. _Has he been gargling razor blades or something? _Normally she would leave, but, Curiosity piqued, she stayed.

"Are you okay? You sound terrible."

Again the raspy voice. "I'm…I'm fine. Just a bad night…"

His shudder when mentioning the night left her less than convinced. Making a snap decision, she stepped toward the door and in her most authoritative tone, told him she was coming in.

His eye widened, then slowly closed and reopened. Then his weary face disappeared and the door opened. After she stepped in and he shut the door behind her, she got a closer look at him.

The first thing she noticed was that he was wearing the same clothes from the concert. Then she saw his drooping, bloodshot eyes. His hair was, unsurprisingly, mussed up, and he just looked weary, head hanging and shoulders slumped. _He looks terrible! He was fine last night; what happened?_

Halfheartedly motioning her to the couch, he slumped onto the nearest end, head downcast. She stepped over to the opposite end and sat down. Still his eyes remained downcast, and she felt worry trickle through her. _I hope I didn't cause any of this. This is definitely not the usual Kaitin._

After giving him ample time to speak, she asked the question pressing down on her. "What happened to you, Kaitin?"

He surprised her by glancing up, face blank, and muttering "Why are you here?"

With but a moments hesitation, she gave him a half-truth.

"I tried calling you two or three times about last night. I wanted to apologize for making you leave early."

Dropping his head again, he waved her concern away with more lifeless words.

"Doesn't matter. It was free, anyways."

"Well, regardless, I'm sorry." Apology out of the way, she pressed on. "You look terrible; what's wrong?"

Eyes dull, he glanced at her once more, then let more dreary words out. "Nothing…I told you, I'm fine. Just...just a lousy night."

Frustration began to build in her at his caginess, and she pressed it down as she tried to pry from him just what was wrong.

"You're fine? You sound like you've been gargling razor blades, and you look like death warmed over."

Unable to meet her gaze, he led his head drop again and mumbled another dismissal. Having had enough, Rachael did something that surprised them both. Reaching out, she grabbed him by the shoulder blades and gave him a shake. Then she leaned towards him and, in a voice uncharacteristically caring, spoke to him.

"Don't try and hide it. I can tell you're fighting something. I've been through this battle before, and maybe I can help."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Astounded by her words, Kaitin looked up. Her hands were still gripping his shoulders, and her pale face was only a foot or two away from his. Most of all, it was the concern in her voice that forced him to react. _What do I know? Maybe she CAN help me. It's not like I have anyone else I can talk to about it._ Suppressing a sigh, he returned her gaze for a few more seconds, then softly pushed her hands off of him and stood up. Stepping into the kitchen, he grabbed the letter from where it had fell from his hands, and returned to the couch. Handing it to her, he gestured for her to read.

After quickly reading it, she looked back at him, eyes asking for an explanation. Ignoring her unasked question, he took a deep breath, and then began to tell her the story…

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Liara Vanger was happy. She was working two jobs, barely getting enough sleep each night to function the next day. The bills seemed never ending, and her husband was currently unemployed. He was also an alcoholic, and was becoming abusive. The house was usually a mess, and she had no time to even begin to clean. _

_All these troubles and more, yet she was happy. The sole reason for her happiness was sitting across the worn out table from her, happily chewing on a peanut butter and honey sandwich. In between smacking bites he was beaming a wide grin at her, as cute as could be with his tousled hair. _

_Seven years ago she'd birthed her son Kaitin, and for seven years he had been the only thing keeping her afloat. Even as age began to take its toll, as her husband seemed to grow further away, and as life threw its curveballs, Kaitin brought her the sole continual joy she had. And soon, it would be eight years. _

_"So, Kaikay, are you ready to be eight years old?" She asked him, calling him by his favorite pet name._

_At the mention of eight, he dropped the sandwich on his plate, and proudly held up eight fingers. "Uh huh, mommy, I'm ready to be a man!"_

_Liara smiled at the young boys comment. Her brother Vance, Kaitin's favorite uncle, had told him that once he turned eight he would be a man, and would have to be strong and help her get things done around the house. The thought of Vance made her smile droop a bit. Her brother had never liked her husband, Devin, and from the day she had met Devin, Vance had told her he didn't trust her eventual spouse._

_She'd ignored her brother back then, figuring that he was just being the usual overprotective big brother. But the years had begun to validate him. It had started out so well. And then things began to go downhill._

_Liara was interrupted from her reverie by the sound of the front door slamming shut. Unbidden, fear filled her veins. She knew that door slam, and she knew it meant one thing; Devin was drunk, and angry. _

_As much as it pained her, she had, months earlier, found a little hide-away for Kaitin, in case her husband became abusive towards their son. Though she shuddered to even think of it, she knew it was better to be safe than sorry. In the back of one of the closets, under the lowest shelf, was a crawlspace that Devin wasn't aware of. This had become Kaitin's safe hide, and this was where she now sent him._

_Confident that Kaikay was safe, she headed towards the front of the house. Steeling herself against Devin's alcohol induced wrath, she whispered a silent prayer that maybe this time things wouldn't be so bad. As he came into sight, the shudder that ran down her back told her the prayer would remain unanswered._

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rachael had remained intently focused on Kaitin, so she noticed when, partway into the story, his eyes closed and his breath came faster. Now he had stopped, suddenly, and begun to shake as if a chill wind had blown through the room. Then she noticed the drop of sweat that ran down the side of his face to his jaw.

Reaching out, she laid her hand on his wrist and began to speak to get his attention. She was cut off as he jerked his hand away from the contact, body jolting and eyes opening. The wild, fearful look in his ice-blue eyes caused her to lean away from him, a momentary pang of alarm shooting through her.

Just as suddenly, his eyes cleared and his gaze became regretful.

"Sorry…it's just…hard…to talk about this…it's been so long…" he softly apologized.

She gazed at him with unexpectedly sympathetic eyes. "You don't have to tell this to me if it's too much."

Shaking his head, he sat silent for a moment. "No, I…this…" After another moments silence, he looked up at her. The pleading in his eyes surprised her as he finished his thought. "I need to do this."

Their gaze's lingered upon each other as silence reigned. Suddenly growing embarrassed, Rachael nodded for him to continue the story. After another deep breath, he plunged back into the tale…

----------------------------------------------------------------------

_Little Kaikay quietly shut the closet door, and then squeezed himself into his hideaway. He liked his little hiding spot. It was warm, and he always had fun pretending he was in a secret cave. Well, almost always. This time he was scared. He could hear his parents arguing. He always hated when they fought. Why couldn't they just be happy and nice to each other? _

_Abruptly, a crashing sound startled him. It was quickly followed by more angry words, and then the sickening thump of a person hitting the floor. Tears began to well up in his eyes as more harsh words were yelled. Then a few moments silence. Kaitin struggled to quiet his now rapid breathing. The next sound he caught chilled him. It was the desperate pleading of a female voice. Then a piercing scream filled the house. _

_Mashing his hands over his ears, Kaikay fought his sobs as tears gushed out of his clenched eyes and down his cheeks. The scream was abruptly cut off, and Kaitin suddenly felt hollow and cold inside. Sniffling, he fought to keep his sobs inside as a wave of sorrow crashed into him. The sound of approaching footsteps caused him to catch his breath and hold it. _

_He could hear Devin yelling at him, swearing at him and telling him to come out from wherever he was. Stifling the sobs that were racking his small body, Kaikay pressed his lips together and breathed as quietly as possible. The footsteps stopped, and so did Devin's angry ranting. It was soon filled by sounds of remorseful lament. Devin's moans of realization soon faded with rapid footsteps, followed by a door slamming._

_It wasn't until Kaikay heard a car screech away that he dared to uncurl his little frame and crawl back into the closet. It took him another few minutes before he was able to leave the closet. The house was deathly silent. Fear seized him as he called out for his mother, with no answer. He broke into a shuffling hurry, panic growing as he searched for his mother. He slammed to a halt when he came around the kitchen counter, her name sticking in his throat. He'd found her._

---------------------------------------------------------------------

The story was cut off abruptly, as a sob wrenched itself from Kaitin's chest. He was weeping openly now, tears rolling unhindered down his cheeks. Unable to look at her, he dropped his head partially into his hands and sobbed, the sheer pain of the memory depriving him of further speech.

The sight was almost too much for Rachael. She was surprised by how much it tugged at her heart. She'd never been the sentimental type. So she was even more surprised by what she did next.

Reaching forward, she pulled the sobbing young man into her embrace. After but a moments resistance, he melted into her arms, leaning his head on her ready shoulder. For what felt like quite a long time, she just cradled him in her arms, all awkwardness gone, as he wept and sobbed. Soon, his sobs turned to sniffles, and then he began to breathe regularly again.

He stirred, and, almost reluctantly, she let him pull out of her embrace. Still amazed at her own behavior, she sat silent, waiting for him to speak. When he finally did, it was in a voice tinged with the remnants of past agony.

"Rachael, you…?" he hesitated, his question left unasked.

In a slightly ironic tone, she responded. "That's what friends are for, isn't it?"

His eyes widened at her comment, and then a barely perceptible grin flashed across his visage. His answer was simple. "Thank you."

Again he closed his eyes, breathing deep, and she had a moment to gaze upon him. She also had a moment to sort through her now very jumbled thoughts. _What's coming over me? Why am I acting so…concerned about him? I've only known him for a month or two. _Looking again at his face, she felt her brow furrow in uncertainty. _Do I pity him? No, I wouldn't have come to apologize just because I pity someone. So why do I…?_

Sudden realization dawned on her, but she almost squelched the thought out of habit. _Is it because I care about him? _The resulting jolt of dread from the thought filled her with trepidation. _I can't afford to have feelings for anyone. _She gazed back at him just as he opened his eyes. Something in them changed her mind. _Still...There is something about him, something so…familiar. I've had friends before-I know I can at least do that much and be okay._

Her inner reverie was ended as Kaitin finally spoke up. "So that's my story. And, as you saw in the summons, I have to testify at Devin's trial tomorrow."

"And you don't want to because you don't want to see your father in prison?" She queried.

At the mention of the word _father_, his face clouded and his voice grew cold. "Don't' call him that ever again. He's not my father, and he never will be."

The sharpness in his voice caused Rachael to recoil a bit, and mutter a quick "Okay." Seeing her reaction, his face softened again and his voice grew warm.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you-you didn't know. I just don't know if I can do this." Anxiety crept into his voice as he finished his sentence, and Rachael could see stress in the set of his shoulders.

She gave him a moment to continue, and when he looked down and away from her, falling silent, she struggled to find the words to speak that would help him. After debating several ideas in her head, she settled on the one that felt best.

"You need to have support. You should ask Glenn to come and support you."

Kaitin looked up at her, considering the idea. Then an uneasy expression crossed his face, and he asked her a simple question.

"Will you be there?"

The plain question left her speechless for a moment. She managed to gather her self enough to respond to him with a slightly skeptical "You want me to be there?"

Nodding his head affirmatively, he gave her his reasons. "I realize we don't know each other all that well, but you're my only friend besides Glenn. And I haven't told him that story, and I prefer to let him figure it out on his own at the trial." Exhaling, he went on. "You're the only person I've told that story."

Seeing the uncertainty that worked its way onto her face, he leaned forward and took her hands into his. The jolt that passed through her wasn't one of fear, nor of aversion. She could feel his warmth, and the gentleness with which he held her hands. Her brain told her to ignore the feeling, told her she needed to listen to the fact that she had no real reason to go to the trial. She ignored her brain, and gave ear to something that she seldom listened to-her feelings.

"I'll be there." That was about all she was able to get out. At least until he let go of her hands. The joyful smile that spread across his face was followed by a heartfelt "Thank you."

A short silence ensued as they looked at each other, then Rachael managed to regain her composure and break the quiet. "Of course, I'll probably need a ride." Her wry smirk was echoed by Kaitin's laughter. She wasn't sure what amazed her most, that she had agreed to go or how good it felt to see him laugh. She knew the confusion inside would bear serious thought later on. For now, she just shook her head at his now loud laughter and enjoyed a carefree moment with her friend.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kaitin still had Glenn's car, and he offered to give her a ride home. She refused it, telling him that he needed to get some rest before the trial. So now she was on the bus, by herself in the back. This was fine, because she needed some quiet to figure out the confusing mish-mash of conflicting feelings in her head.

Try as she might, she could not figure out why she was getting involved in Kaitin's life. _I barely know him, and I haven't exactly been the friendliest to him. And yet he still treats me so kindly._ The more she tried to figure things out, the more frustrated she became.

Finally, annoyed by her lack of progress, she leaned her head back, closed her eyes, and quietly began chanting a mantra to help get rid of some of the stress now pressing on her. She decided to give up on figuring the mess out for the moment. Which was fine, because others were hard at work on it…

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Well, this is it so far. Like I said, I haven't given up. I'm gonna finish this. So R/R please and I'll do my best to crank out some more chaps soon. Thanks ya'll!**


End file.
